The trailer for the Oscar hopeful The Soloist has arrived…and it makes the movie look like The Fisher King. A little. Robert Downey Jr. plays a down-on-his-luck reporter who bumps into a homeless street musician and instantly recognizes the man’s unique musical abilities. He then becomes friends with, writes an article about, becomes a better person from….you know the drill. Jamie Foxx, who was last seen in 2007’s The Kingdom, plays the talented and troubled musician. The movie is based on the true story of Nathanial Ayers, a stringed instrument prodigy who dropped out of Juilliard and ended up on the streets of LA after developing schizophrenia. It was directed by Joe Wright, who nervously stepped outside of his Keira Knightley comfort zone to call the shots.
This is the kind of movie that would be hard to pay attention to if it weren’t for its two magnetic (sort of an Iron Man joke) leads. The movie looks beautifully shot, and Foxx and Downey seem to be acting their harps out. It just looks a little been there, done that. The always reliable Catherine Keener, Coen Brothers mainstay Steven Root, and the incredible Angela Featherstone round out the cast. The film hits theaters and starts begging for Oscar consideration this November. Click here to take a gander at the preview. Any trailer that kicks off with a person sliding across pavement on his face is worth viewing at least once, right?